A shocking £6 million worth of prescribed medicine is being thrown away across Staffordshire each year.

Now health bosses have decided to act by launching a campaign across the county to raise awareness of a problem that is hugely expensive for the NHS.

One of the key messages is to patients who take regular prescription drugs. They have been urged to check what they have been given before they leave their pharmacy in case they have anything they no longer take and to tell their pharmacist.

Patients, GPs and pharmacists are all being encouraged to play a part in cutting down on the waste, with a large part of the issue coming from those with long-term and complex conditions.

These patients may be receiving multiple medications that may frequently change and differ in dosage.

Patients are being encouraged to check for incorrect prescriptions before they leave the pharmacist (Image: Getty)

Should they be on several medications, confusion can often arise when they re-order a set prescription. Often prescriptions can cover different time periods; some can cover a month while others a three-month period for example.

This can lead to stockpiling and patients having more drugs than they actually need, said a spokesman.

Other patients may want to "stockpile" medicine, just in case, however which means they do not need the amount they have received for the time period.

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Health bosses have called for patients only to take what they need, while pharmacists and GPs have been advised to work closely with patients to ensure they understand how much medication they require and for how long.

After receiving medication, patients are being asked to check for unwanted or incorrect items straightaway and before they leave the pharmacy. Also, let a doctor know if you no longer need a prescribed medication.

Manir Hussain, deputy director for primary care and medicines optimisation for the clinical commission groups which cover Staffordshire, said: "The waste is twofold. It's a waste of money that could be used on improving health services, and it is also a waste of perfectly good medicines.

"We have strict quality control of medicines in the NHS which means that once they leave the pharmacy they can never be reissued. Even if they are returned five minutes later there is no option but to destroy them.

"We encourage the public, pharmacies and GP practices to get involved in the campaign and to do their bit to help reduce the amount of medicines wasted across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent."